Director of University Partnerships

The Director of University Partnerships is part of the sales team at Noodle called University Partnerships, or "UP". This role will have a particular focus on identifying, developing, and collaborating with sales team members to close opportunities for Noodle’s technology products and solutions.

As our Director of University Partnerships, you will play a crucial role in building our sales pipeline, ultimately aiming to achieve revenue targets. With a focus on data-driven strategies and innovative tactics, you will execute target outreach strategies to generate and nurture leads that have the high potential of converting to partnership contracts. You will lead technology sales opportunities from discovery through product demonstration, technical evaluation, pricing, procurement; translating product capabilities into clear business value for university buyers. The core of our demand generation strategy is event-based, requiring a unique balance of creativity, curiosity, teamwork, ingenuity, and analytical thinking to drive awareness and leads around our offerings.

In this role, organization and adaptability are key. You must effectively manage and prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines, while maintaining a well-structured approach to lead qualification and nurturing. You should be equally comfortable discussing a university’s business challenge with an executive leader and navigating more technical conversations involving product functionality, integrations, implementation, data, AI, and enterprise systems. The dynamic nature of our industry and market may require quick decision-making and adjustments to switch directions when needed. Achieving lead pipeline and revenue goals as a team relies on our ability to navigate and embrace change while staying focused on our overarching objectives.

Additionally, your success in this role will be determined by the following principles:

• Learn, then define: Invest time in understanding the needs, workflows, technology environment, and challenges of potential partners through active listening and thoughtful discovery.
• Share, empower: Transparently share knowledge, product expertise, resources, and relevant insights to empower potential partners and help them understand what is possible with Noodle’s technology and solutions.
• Solve, don't sell: Connect the unique challenges of potential partners to the right combination of technology, services, and expertise, and position our offerings based on measurable value and outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• Technical Outreach & Solution Selling:
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive technical outreach strategy focused on solution selling to expand our footprint within university IT and academic technology departments.
  • Target technical decision-makers with customized messaging that articulates technical value propositions and addresses specific infrastructure or software integration needs.
  • Maintain deep proficiency in Noodle’s software product suite and technical roadmap to effectively address complex inquiries regarding system compatibility and feature sets.
  • Represent Noodle at major ed-tech conferences and software trade shows to showcase platform innovations and build relationships with technical stakeholders.
• Technical Lead Qualification & Integration Fit:
  • Qualify prospects based on technical requirements, software integration compatibility, and alignment with software-specific buying cycles and budget windows.
  • Utilize lead scoring to ensure prospects have the necessary technical readiness and high conversion potential before transitioning them to the specialized SaaS sales team.
  • Prioritize leads through a systematic evaluation of their technical ecosystem and the potential for a seamless platform implementation.
• Technical Nurture & Implementation Strategy:
  • Apply a technical consultative selling approach to guide leads through implementation discussions and initial product enablement stages.
  • Manage proof-of-concept (POC) stages and provide targeted enablement materials to move leads from initial awareness to technical validation.
  • Coordinate with internal engineering and product SMEs to ensure tailored technical support and clear communication during the platform evaluation process.
• Technical Pipeline & SaaS Metric Management:
  • Track technical pipeline velocity and monitor progress through the SaaS sales funnel to optimize conversion timing.
  • Maintain high-integrity data within the CRM, focusing on software-specific performance metrics and ARR/MRR impact potential.
  • Utilize CRM analytics to generate reports on lead health, platform adoption signals, and forecasted sales performance.
  • Discuss lead activity and performance with the sales team and other stakeholders to provide valuable insights and support decision-making.
  • Continuously evaluate and improve CRM workflows, processes, and data integrity to enhance the overall efficiency and accuracy of lead tracking and management.
• Product Education & Roadmap Feedback:
  • Synthesize market feedback to inform the product team and sales executives on technical roadmap priorities and new feature opportunities.
  • Continually engage the sales team on the evolving tech-stack and the competitive advantages of Noodle’s software features.
• SaaS Sales Performance & Communication:
  • Provide regular updates on demand generation performance, highlighting ARR/MRR growth and technical lead conversion rates to leadership.
  • Partner with leadership to refine SaaS-focused strategies and tactics, ensuring the team is positioned to maximize technical sales results.

You have:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 3+ years of B2B sales experience in higher education, ed-tech, SaaS, or enterprise technology
• Direct experience selling technology products or SaaS solutions, with a track record of owning opportunities from prospecting and discovery through demo, technical evaluation, procurement, and close
• Experience with HubSpot and Salesforce is a plus
• Strong communication, interpersonal and organizational skills
• Results/outcomes oriented and driven
• Great written and verbal sales skills
• The ability to travel as needed
• Working knowledge of Google Workspace (Docs, Slides, Sheets)
• Ability to work effectively in dynamic, rapidly changing, team-based environment

Noodle Benefits:

• Work from our beautiful NYC office OR the comfort of your home office!
• Computer and charger on us!
• 401(k) with company match, plus equity opportunities
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family (including mental health benefits like Headspace and Talkspace)
• Employer-paid life and disability insurance
• Optional voluntary coverage, including supplemental life, accident, critical illness, and hospital insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and commuter benefits
• Pre-tax benefit options that help you save on eligible healthcare, dependent care, and commuting expenses
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid parental leave
• Wellness initiatives and resources
• Free subscription to the Calm app
• Employee discount program
• 4 weeks of paid vacation + 10 paid holidays + paid sick leave
• Monthly mobile connectivity stipend
• Annual education stipend for lifelong learning
• Growth opportunities - we pride ourselves on creating environments where employees can be themselves and grow within and around the company